PCMCIA Slot

[LyleHaze]

I've never used the PCMCIA slot as a drive. Mine has only ever been used rarely for a squirrel scsi interface only.
Can you explain how you use the PCMCIA slot as a Drive and what hardware you use to allow the use of a compact flash card in it.
I'm assuming some sort of PCMCIA to CF addaptor but what driver and file system are you using ?

If my info here is correct, PCMCIA, CompactFlash, and PATA are all extremely similar.
Compact Flash was designed to be a smaller version of PCMCIA, with a handful of unused pins removed, but conversion from one to the other is direct wiring, with no "interface" to speak of.
I have also seen CF adaptors like this one http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/cat ... cts_id=883 that use a CF card as a replacement for a parallel ATA drive.

So adapting between these should be fairly straightforward. I've even noticed that CF cards have speed ratings very similar to hard drives, something to consider if purchasing one as a primary boot device.

If I ever get around to putting my micro into a small-as-possible case, using a CF hard drive like the one from AmigaKit and losing the CDRom completely would be a big step in the right direction.

[Delshay]

As stated above if a backup is required the only real way of doing this is via the PCMCIA port. With no SCSI driver the only other solution is a SUBWAY card.

Tower users may have other ways of connecting large storage device,but they still have the optional PCMCIA port.

If OS4.2 is to have window compatible file system then all that is needed is a single file (driver) in its current configuration unless other changes are made.

PCMCIA port works with compact flash,SD card & microSD. Other flash devices may also work (not tested).

[LyleHaze]

PCMCIA works with compact flash,SD card & microSD. Other flash device may work also (not tested) .

While all three that I mentioned before have similar interfaces (CF, PCMCIA, and ATA) the interface for SD and Micro SD are quite different.
I am speaking in terms of the electrical connections and signal usage.. SD and MicroSD can move data by SPI, one bit, or four bits at a time,
while the others mentioned have an 8/16 bit interface. I would NOT expect SD cards to work on these interfaces without some kind of active adapter.

[Delshay]

I got the files transfer earlier in this thread in this order.

Download files via smartphone to microSD.

Removed microSD from smartphone,inserted into PCMCIA port transfer files to floppy. Same thing with PC but same result but easier to use SD card other than microSD card.

Some adapters do not work,but the one I have here does.

Here is a link to some compatible cards. This first in the list is the one I have (4 in 1) adapter.

http://www.g-mb.de/pcmcia_e.html


NOTE: I had a old Sandisk adapter thats not compatible with A1200.

OTHER NOTES: 128GB compact flash takes a long time to quick format in the PCMCIA slot between 2 to 3 minutes,but format very quickly with FastATA.

[Delshay]

Another option is to have PCMCIA slot active after booting from the CD,this way any back-up can be transfered to hard drive without the need to install the OS just to get the port active.

If a installation of the OS is needed then the option to have PCMCIA active for CF card could be done during installation of the OS or added as contribution after OS has been installed,as pointed out earlier in this thread.

Perhaps during installation of the OS the driver could be in the storage draw if user(s) choose not to install it.